novelraw Chapter 126 Are You Out of Your Mind
Chapter 126 Are You Out of Your Mind
Chapter 126: Are You Out of Your Mind?
"Ha!"
Zhang Xian let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-growl, exasperated beyond measure by her breathless, carefree giggling.
"You foolish woman," he hissed, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You’re injured this badly—how can you still laugh? Did the shockwave scramble your brains?!"
Li Fuxi seemed deaf to his roaring. Her blood-stained hand trembled as she raised it, her fingertips brushing the dark red stain on the chest of Zhang Xian's white robe.
It was her own blood. Gazing at the stark crimson proof of her sacrifice, her eyes misted with a complex, swirling haze. Her voice was so faint it was barely a whisper against the silence of the room.
"I’ve taken so much from you... this... this settles the account."
"Settle the account? Bullshit!"
The pent-up emotion in Zhang Xian's chest detonated. "I broke my back nurturing you! I poured everything I had into raising your cultivation! Was it so you could throw yourself away like trash? So you could repay me with your life? You—"
He gritted his teeth, his voice cracking under the strain. "Couldn't you see that bastard Yang was deliberately baiting you? Just how stupid are you, jumping headfirst into a pit someone else dug!"
He was halfway through his tirade when the words died in his throat. Li Fuxi, instead of looking chastised, was smiling even more brilliantly. The effort triggered a violent coughing fit, sending fresh blood trickling down her chin, yet her eyes shone with an astonishing, feverish light.
She looked... happy.
"Still laughing? Are you out of your mind?!" Zhang Xian stared at her, speechless.
Fortunately, though the Jade Shattering technique had been catastrophic to her cultivation foundation, her physical life was not in immediate danger. With Zhang Xian and Lin Yinyin working together, they carefully moved Li Fuxi to the elegant private villa at the Yunmiao Sect's outpost.
Upon hearing the news, Elder Wang Ya hurried over, holding a bowl of meticulously prepared spirit broth. He took one look at the weak, barely breathing Li Fuxi on the bed, and sighed deeply. Setting down the broth, he patted Zhang Xian's shoulder in silent solidarity and withdrew, leaving the space for the master and her two disciples.
Zhang Xian sat on the edge of the bed, carefully feeding Li Fuxi spoonfuls of the warm broth. Curled up like a wounded cat, Li Fuxi finally succumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion and pain, slowly drifting into a deep sleep.
Yet even in unconsciousness, her brows remained slightly furrowed. Her long, delicate eyelashes were damp, and a single crystal-clear teardrop silently slid down her pale cheek to wet the pillow.
She murmured, almost imperceptibly, "No regrets."
The voice was as light as a sigh, yet it carried a stubbornness that pierced straight through Zhang Xian’s soul.
After settling their master, Lin Yinyin followed Zhang Xian to the secluded pavilion in the villa’s courtyard. The autumn breeze carried a bite of chill that matched the somber mood.
Lin Yinyin suddenly grabbed Zhang Xian's sleeve, her knuckles white, tears streaming down her face.
"Brother Zhang Xian! Master... Master sacrificed too much this time! She was on the verge of achieving perfection! And just like that, she shattered it... everything is gone..."
Having cultivated under Li Fuxi and practicing the same Nine Turns Jade Condensation Sutra, Lin Yinyin felt the loss viscerally. The "Jade Shattering" didn't just break a bone; it pulverized the cultivator's future. Overwhelming grief made her sob uncontrollably.
Zhang Xian gently patted the back of her hand, his voice unusually low.
"I know. Master was forced by that scum. He calculated her weakness perfectly. He knew that if he threatened to kill me, Master would never back down or concede... His goal, from the very beginning, was to destroy her foundation."
His eyes hardened into flint. "And then that bastard Hu Yanqing comes waltzing in, pretending to be the benevolent savior, trying to lure Master to the Guiyuan Sect to 'fix' her. It’s so damn cliché it’s nauseating."
Hearing this, Lin Yinyin's face paled. "He... he has the backing of the Guiyuan Sect. I've heard they are a Central Continent behemoth, more terrifying than all six major forces of the Southern Region combined. Can we really contend with them?"
"Have you forgotten? When your brother was still at the Foundation Establishment stage, he chased off the Zhao Family Patriarch. Now that I'm at the Golden Core stage, naturally my opponents have to level up too. We just fight our way through."
Hearing Zhang Xian speak so lightly, the panic in Lin Yinyin's heart eased somewhat, though the anguish remained. "But... Master's path... her Dao..."
"Her path won't be severed." Zhang Xian cut her off, his tone carrying an absolute, unshakeable certainty. "Don't worry, your brother has a way. Master will recover, and she'll become even stronger than before."
Hearing Zhang Xian's resolute promise, the gloom in Lin Yinyin's heart finally dispersed. She nodded vigorously, wiping her eyes. "Mhm! I believe in you, Brother! You're the best!"
Zhang Xian ruffled the top of her head. "Alright, these next couple of days, I need you to guard Master closely. Don't leave her side. Tomorrow..."
A killing intent so sharp it felt physically cold flashed in his eyes. "I have very important matters to attend to."
"Okay! Go get 'em, Brother! Teach that sinister villain a lesson and avenge Master!"
Zhang Xian gave her a reassuring smile, then turned and walked toward his meditation chamber. He needed absolute silence to adjust his condition to its peak, to prepare for tomorrow's life-or-death confrontation.
However, the moment he stepped into the chamber, a soft knock sounded behind him.
The door was pushed open gently. It was Zhiyin.
Zhang Xian didn't seem surprised. He turned around, his expression calm. "If you hadn't come to me, I would have gone to find you."
"The Creation Immortal Pill will arrive in three days at the latest," Zhiyin said directly, her voice devoid of fluctuation. "Given Li Fuxi's condition, I can advance the payment to you."
"However," her tone shifted, becoming grave, "I must remind you. The Creation Immortal Pill indeed possesses the miraculous power to reshape foundations and heal severely damaged origin essence. But Li Fuxi's Golden Core has already been reforged once."
"Now, having suffered the fatal, self-destructive blow of 'Jade Shattering,' even with an Immortal Pill, it will likely be difficult to restore her to her optimal state. Secondary damage to the origin essence is not something easily remedied by medicine. Whether to use it on her or not... the choice is yours."
Zhang Xian knew Zhiyin must have overheard his earlier conversation with Lin Yinyin and came specifically to warn him.
"That Immortal Pill... I will still reserve for Yun Wanqing. For Master, I have my own methods."
His gaze burned as he looked at Zhiyin. "But since you're willing to advance the payment, I can give you a promise. Give me one Creation Immortal Pill today, and in the future, I, Zhang Xian, will repay you double!"
"Oh?" Zhiyin's eyebrows rose slightly, clearly moved by the sheer audacity and confidence of the offer.
Zhang Xian didn't dwell on the pill exchange. Instead, he changed the subject with a touch of sincere gratitude. "Also, thank you for stepping forward promptly today."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Zhiyin, a flicker of understanding and appreciation in his eyes. "I didn't expect you to have concealed your aura so masterfully, quietly breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. Congratulations."
Zhiyin slowly shook her head. "Wrong. My true body remains at the peak of the Golden Core stage. My stepping into the early Nascent Soul stage... is your doing."
Zhang Xian's eyes widened slightly. It seemed the Earth-grade puppet avatar he had gifted indeed had extraordinary effects; the rule of boosting cultivation levels held true even across major realm barriers.
"Not just me. Su Ling is the same," Zhiyin continued. "Elder Su Yuanshen had been stuck at the third level of Nascent Soul for over a thousand years without progress. But after you gifted him the puppet, he refined the puppet core into Elder Su Ling's body. Now, Elder Su Ling has reached the fourth level of Nascent Soul. She has truly stepped into the mid-Nascent Soul stage."
She looked at him intently. "Now, do you understand why our Heavenly Puppet Peak stands so firmly behind you? What you've given us changes not just our power levels, but our very destinies."
Zhang Xian's mind churned with turbulent thoughts. The potential of the Earth-grade puppet core far exceeded his expectations. But his expression remained unchanged as he asked, "The Immortal Pill... it will definitely arrive in three days?"
"I will deliver it personally. There will be no mistake." Zhiyin nodded.
A flash of killing intent passed through Zhang Xian's eyes.
"Three days... a bit of a pity, but it doesn't matter much." His gaze turned toward the window, as if already locking onto a certain target waiting for him in tomorrow's arena.